Mariana was diagnosed with an eating disorder four years ago. At its worst, the disease left her at 65 pounds and near death. Now, on a solid road to recovery, she is sharing her experience in the hopes that her story can help others avoid a similar experience.

"'When you have an eating disorder, you don't see what other people are seeing, you see that you're not perfect. My mom helped me to realize I was all skin and bones. She thought I was going to my deathbed. It was my mom and friends who helped me turn it around.'"

An increasing number of athletes are opening up about their experiences with eating disorders. What used to be a taboo subject is finally out in the light, where it can be exposed for the dangerous, life-threatening disease it is. Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Labels: athletes, awareness, recovery

Competitive runners are, by nature of their activity, thin. Consequently, a runner with an eating disorder is hard to identify. But a sudden drop in weight or sudden increase in miles-run-per-week are possible indicators that something might be wrong. This was the case with Ellie, who mom and dad thought something might be wrong when she lost 15 pounds over one summer.

"Sharp was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa at age 12. At her sickest, Sharp was 5 feet 3 inches and weighed 80 pounds. 'There were times when we went to bed and didn't know if she'd be there when we got up,' said her mother, Cathy Sharp, wiping away tears."

Now a junior in high school, Sharp is healthy, and still runs. In fact, she's captain of her cross country team. Now she uses her experience to mentor younger team members and make sure they don't head down the same dangerous path.

Island View treatment programs for troubled teens offer help for families dealing with a child in crisis. Learn how their adolescent residential treatment program saves teens.

Labels: athletes, exercise, influences

Carrie Fett, former cross-country runner for Purdue University, spent her first two college years watching her strength decrease and her running-times increase. Though her family doctor had warned her in her senior year of high school that she was malnourished, Carrie ignored the warning and told her worried mom that she was just fine.

"'I was like "I don't know what she's talking about. I'm fine..."' Carrie said. 'I straight up denied it. I don't think it mattered what it was because at that point, I thought I was fine and doing the right thing for running."

Her junior year of college, Purdue hired an assistant cross country coach who taught Carrie to emphasize strength and health instead of sacrificing health for sake of faster running times. Read more at FortWayne.com.

Teens often think they're fine when they're obviously not. Especially when it comes to drug use and abuse. Learn more about teen drug abuse and addiction, including teenage drug and alcohol use statistics at Adolescent-Substance-Abuse.com.

Labels: athletes, exercise, healthy_eating

Nutritionist Ingrid Skoog has recently been hired by the Oregon State Athletic Department to begin working with the student-athletes. Her overall goal is to help them improve their athletic performance, but she will begin by addressing the issue of eating disorders.

"She hopes to advise incoming athletes and show them how to eat properly in the dorms, and then help those who move into apartments to shop for healthy food that can be made quickly."

Collegiate athletics has become so competitive that being "naturally talented" isn't enough anymore. Everyone is looking for an edge. Skoog hopes to help them find that edge in safe, healthy ways. Read more at GTConnect.com.

Labels: athletes, health care, nutrition

While eating disorders don't make sense to many, there are at least 5 million men, women, and children in the United States who regularly battle an eating disorder. New studies show that many teen athletes, and not just the girls, may suffer from eating disorders. Experts believe that a drive to excel in athletics, especially dancers, gymnasts, and wrestlers, puts some students at a greater risk of having an eating disorder.

But a new program at Viewmont High School in Salt Lake City, Utah has a program to combat the deadly disorder.

"At the start of the season, high school wrestlers are weighed, their body fat is measured and their hydration level is checked. Those numbers are then entered into a computer, which determines how much weight each student can lose safely. If the student loses more, they are not allowed to compete."

While the new program appears to be working for the male wrestlers, there is no such system in place yet for female-associated sports. Read more online.

Labels: athletes, students, teens